Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Tufts University has sent out a letter that is sure to spook Greek life students ahead of Halloween weekend.
Students involved in fraternities and sororities at the Massachusetts school are being told to not wear anything that could offend others during Halloween celebrations – or risk getting investigated by campus police and being slapped with “serious disciplinary sanctions.”
The order came in a note written by the leaders of the four Greek life councils on campus. It contained few specifics.
“The costumes that people choose to wear have an effect on everyone around them whether they realize it or not,” the letter says.
It goes on to state that “outfits relating to tragedy, controversy, or acts of violence are also inappropriate. We need to set a precedent that people’s customs cannot and will not be our costumes.”
Tufts was far from the only university calling out costumes it deemed offensive. The University of Florida offered counseling for students "troubled" by incidents involving Halloween costumes. And the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Bias Incident Team last year claimed some students' "Three Blind Mice" costumes mocked the disabled.
The Dean of Student Affairs at Tufts, Mary Pat McMahon, is urging people who feel offended to file reports to campus authorities.
“The range of response for students whose actions make others in our community feel threatened or unsafe, or who direct conduct towards others that is offensive or discriminatory, includes OEO and/or TUPD investigation and then disciplinary sanctions from our office that could run a wide gamut depending on what is brought to our attention and the impact of these actions on others,” she is quoted as saying in the letter.
The existence of the letter was reported by Students Advocating for Students, an organization advocating for free speech on college campuses.
What a load of BS. It saddens me to think we are living in the age of the perpetually offended. This is so ridiculous and absurd. What happened to sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me? Now it's sticks and stones may break my bones but words will get me to complain to social media and cry to anyone who will listen until something is done.
We need to set a precedent that people’s customs cannot and will not be our costumes
Next step: outlaw animal costumes.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.